The strength of a brand lies in the fact that people immediately recognise it, and rely on it without a doubt. The TÜV brand is such a brand – worldwide. It is a protected brand that identifies all TÜV testing companies. It can only be used by Technical Inspection Associations (TÜV) or TÜV subsidiaries. It is enforceable worldwide under trade mark law because the brand is registered with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA), the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) and many other foreign trade mark offices.